sexta-feira, 2 de março de 2012

Here we pay more than a third (34%) of our income to the federal government, as well as state and local taxes on services, vehicles and real estate taxes, and we also contribute to social security, among many, many others[1].

And all this to have a (ineffective but) free healthcare system [2], potholed roads [3], insecurity in the streets and in our homes [4], abandoned elementary schools with poor quality and lack of resources [5]. Because of taxes, we pay literally twice the price of cars[6]and electronics[7], not only for those imported but also to those made here in Brazil[8]!

Brazilian taxes feed a chronically corrupt government [9], an economic system hooked to enrich a few companies and pay for the "panis et circenses" [10]. And the problem is that the Brazilian people have a very short "election memory"[11]. The voting here is mandatory, which means that at every election in which I participated, I saw people near the ballot box not yet knowing who to vote for or what are the candidates, or worse, voting for those who bought them a bag of rice or cement.

And what do I do? I teach at a public and free university, trying to shape one by one the minds of young Brazilians, so that in a not too distant future we change these absurdities through democracy.

TLDR: The Brazilian taxes are too high, politicians are corrupt and we, Brazilians, should change it by democratic (and conscious) voting.